1. Field
The present disclosure relates to power transfer devices, such as mechanisms for operating lids or doors for refuse receptacles.
2. Description of the Related Art
Receptacles and other devices with mechanisms for transferring power to a subcomponent, such as a lid or a door, are used in a variety of different settings. For example, in both residential and commercial settings, trash cans and other devices often have lids for protecting or preventing the escape of the contents of the receptacle. In the context of trash cans, some trash cans include lids or doors to prevent odors from escaping and to hide the trash within the receptacle from view. Additionally, the lid of a trash can reduce the likelihood of contaminants escaping from the receptacle.
Some commercially available trash cans have power or manually operated lids. Such cans generally include a motor that drives a gear assembly, which in turn drives the lid open and closed. Such trash cans can include a sensor positioned on or near the lid. Such a sensor can be configured to detect movement, such as a user's hand being waived near the sensor, as a signal for opening the lid. When such a sensor is activated, a motor within the trash receptacle opens the lid or door and thus allows a user to place items into the receptacle. Afterwards, the lid can be automatically closed.
However, certain conventional power operated lids present some difficulties. For example, users of current trash cans with power operated lids can experience problems if the trash within the receptacle or can is piled higher than the level of the lid itself. If the trash or other material within the can is higher than the level of the lid itself, the lid will be unable to completely close. This can cause the motor or batteries to wear down, continue running, and/or ultimately fail. It can also force the user to reset the controller, remove trash, or manually compress the trash until the lid can be closed.
Additionally, design of certain conventional lids can result in increased stress on the motor and/or the gear assembly. For example, in the closed position, the lid is generally in a horizontal position (e.g., parallel with the ground), which can result in a relatively large initial moment of force (e.g., the force of gravity acting on the horizontal moment arm of the lid) that must be overcome by a motor or by a user to begin to open the lid. Such an initial moment of force can result in increased wear on the gear assembly and the motor, which can precipitate a failure of the motor, gear assembly, or both, or require can increased amount of opening force in a manual system.
Further, to overcome the moment of force when the lid is in the closed position, the motor of certain conventional receptacles is of a greater size (e.g., in power output) than otherwise would be required. However, increasing the size of the motor generally results in the motor having to consume additional power and/or requires larger exterior dimensions. A motor that consumes additional power may produce more heat and noise and/or require more frequent replacement of a power source (e.g., batteries). A motor having larger exterior dimensions can result in an increase in the overall dimensions of the receptacle or a reduction of the holding capacity of the receptacle. Increasing the overall dimensions of the receptacle can be undesirable because the receptacle occupies additional space (e.g., in already crowded kitchens or other environments). Reducing the capacity of the receptacle can be undesirable because certain items may no longer fit into the receptacle and/or because the receptacle may require more frequent emptying.
Moreover, so as to withstand the initial moment of force, the gears of certain conventional receptacles have a tooth diameter that is relatively small and generally constant. In some instances, this type of gear configuration can result in a reduced operating speed of the lid (e.g., the time for the lid to move from closed to open). Such a delay can be undesirable, for example, when a user is in a hurry.
Furthermore, the motor and/or gear assembly can be damaged when the lid is manually operated (e.g., not opened and/or closed by the motor). For example, when the lid is manually operated, certain of the gears in connection with the lid are encouraged to move (e.g., rotate and/or translate). However, because the motor may be relatively difficult to rotate when not being operated, the motor may inhibit one or more of the gears from moving. Thus, when the lid is manually operated, a stress can result between the gears that the lid is urging to move and the gears that the motor is inhibiting from moving. Such a stress can result in damage to the gears, motor, lid, or other components of the receptacle. For instance, such stress can strip one or more teeth of the gears. Damage to the gears can, for example, result in reduced control over the motion of the lid, cause noise, and even inhibit or prevent the motor from operating the lid.